Evidence-based testing for detection and identification
Our internationally renowned clinical microbiology laboratories offer a broad selection of tests designed for rapid identification and in-depth characterization of the causative agents of infectious diseases. We have developed and implemented culture techniques, immunoassays, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and molecular methods for rapid detection, identification, and characterization, as well as provision of treatment guidance for microbial pathogens.
“We're always trying to develop new methods, broader methods, faster methods, less expensive methods.”
Nancy Wengenack, Ph.D., Division of Clinical Microbiology

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In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss recent news about drug-resistant infections. Later, Paul Jannetto, Ph.D., director of the Clinical and Forensic Toxicology Lab, Clinical Mass Spectrometry Lab, and Metals Lab, joins Dr. Pritt for the deep dive segment. Together, they explore how diagnostics are shaping the future of therapeutics.
In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, and Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, discuss why avian influenza has recently been in the news and lessons learned from managing COVID-19.
Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on the lives of millions of people around the world, including the many brave health care workers who risked their own health to provide lifesaving care to those infected by the virus. That care was made possible, in part, by the lasting impact that the pandemic has also had on laboratory testing.
Host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., is joined by Robin Patel, M.D., co-director of the Clinical Bacteriology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic and director of the Mayo Clinic Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, for a discussion on the rising cases and reports of group A streptococcus and antibiotic resistant gonorrhea across the United States.
In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host and William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., discuss what’s causing recent outbreaks of norovirus and how to keep yourself protected from this leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States.
The New England Journal of Medicine recently published new findings on periprosthetic joint infection by Dr. Robin Patel.
William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins “Answers From the Lab” for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. In this episode, Dr. Morice shares his biggest takeaways from this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, California, and gives an update on the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, joins host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., on this week’s episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast. In this episode, they discuss the ongoing respiratory virus season, a new test for measles available at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, and some tips to stay healthy.
New research by Robin Patel, M.D. and others at Mayo Clinic has found that the use of a “transcriptomic-based cellular deconvolution tool” called CIBERSORTx could help improve the detection of infectious and non-infectious causes of failed joint replacement surgeries.
William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss the latest monkeypox developments, potential scenarios for monkeypox moving forward, and where the VALID Act stands.
In this month's "Hot Topic," Robin Patel, M.D., discusses how the use of multiplex tests may reduce the turnaround time for identifying the cause of bloodstream infections, and how this might impact antibiotic stewardship and patient outcomes.
In this month's "Hot Topic," Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., discusses the use of multiplex panels for the diagnosis of respiratory infections and focuses on the clinical utility of these tests in the setting of upper respiratory tract infections.
The field of clinical microbiology has a long and distinguished history at Mayo Clinic. Since the early 1900s, the clinical microbiology team has played important and leading roles in advancing testing and patient care.